Alabama Attracts Airbus Manufacturing Plant

Airbus will bring 1,000 new jobs to Alabama.

Airplane manufacturer Airbus will bring as many as 1,000 new high-skilled jobs to Alabama when it builds its first U.S.-based production facility in Mobile. The announcement on Monday means a $600 million investment and a boost to the Alabama economy.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's office estimates that the new plant will create an additional 3,200 construction-related jobs over a three-year period and generate $162 million in demand for goods and services in Alabama.

“This project will create thousands of well-paying jobs that the people of this area need and deserve,” Bentley said.

RELATED

Bentley indicated that the state’s Accelerate Alabama strategic plan is responsible for attracting economic development projects such as the Airbus project. Accelerate Alabama was conceived by the Alabama Economic Development Alliance to attract a broad range of industries and new jobs.

“This type of project is exactly why I created the Alabama Economic Development Alliance. This is why we have the Accelerate Alabama strategic plan,” Bentley said.

“The time is right for Airbus to expand in America,” Airbus President & CEO Fabrice Bregier said. “Mobile is now becoming part of Airbus’ global production network, joining our successful and growing assembly lines in Hamburg, Toulouse and Tianjin.”

Construction on the plant expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013 and aircraft assembly by 2015. Officials estimate that the new facility will produce between 40 and 50 aircrafts per year by 2017.